“We were all looking forward to that. I honestly thought he would outlast us. I thought he’d live another 10, 20 years,” said Grisman. “It hits us on an emotional level, for sure.”

Petty Theft — with upcoming shows Nov. 24 at Slim’s in San Francisco, Nov. 25 at the Empress Theatre in Vallejo, Dec. 2 at PowerHouse in Folsom and Dec. 9 at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz — found itself working five days after Petty’s death.

“When we said that he had passed, that was very tough,” Grisman said. “It was a very emotional experience for us and the audience. People were crying. It definitely got to us. There was a lot of love.”

Every gig since has been about “getting together with fellow Tom Petty fans and celebrate the musical legacy,” Grisman said.

More than a “traditional tribute which sometimes connotes costumes and period special gear,” Petty Theft is “more of a celebration of the music,” Grisman said. “It’s always been about playing the music to the best of our ability to honor the music. The word ‘tribute’ does take on a whole new meaning.”

Though Grisman said he’s never met Petty, the Heartbreakers’ drummer, Steve Ferrone, sat in with Petty Theft once.

“That was really special,” Grisman said. “And quite an honor.”

Grisman said Petty was a musical giant as “a master songwriter. Really, there’s no parallel. Maybe the Beatles. We can play a two-hour show (of Petty’s songs) and all are radio hits. Not too many artists have that kind of song book. Beyond the hits, there are so many great songs with so much depth.”

Though Petty Theft has solidified its popularity in the Bay Area and Northern California, its expanding its territory with upcoming shows in Colorado and a return to the Pacific Northwest.

Advertisement

“We’re open to wherever our journey takes us,” Grisman said. “It’s already taken us farther than any of us imagined.”

It all started where new bands usually start — “hole-in-the-wall places,” Grisman said. “And it continued to grow over the years.”

Yes, he said, there’s been “an uptick” in interest since Petty’s death “for obvious reasons.”

“We started doing this for fun and love of the music. That’s why we continue to do it,” Grisman said.

With the band a decade, Grisman said Petty Theft now plays “bigger, nicer rooms and we’re having a great time.”

The son of Bay Area bluegrass legend David Grisman, Monroe said Petty Theft loves the Petty stories told by the “diehard, lifelong fans.”

“And, of course, there are a lot of them out there,” he said. “It’s rewarding to hear from them, that they enjoyed our show and how we are doing a great job of honoring the music.”

Grisman was a mere sixth grader when he said he first listened to Tom Petty and had seen him perform “probably a half-dozen times.”

“I remember hearing his songs on the radio early on with their first album in 1977,” Grisman said.

Petty Theft “absolutely” was able to learn from watching “the real deal” and his Heartbreakers perform, Grisman said.

“When you’re in it (as a Petty tribute band), you’re no longer a casual listener,” Grisman said. “You hear all kinds of stuff you never heard before. We gleaned a lot from seeing the shows.”

Petty Theft realizes it’s not the Heartbreakers, said Grisman.

Though lead singer Dan Durkin “is a really good singer and puts himself into it, he’s not trying to be Tom Petty,” said Grisman. “And we play the music well and put a lot of pride in that.”